This invention relates to tennis teaching aids, and deals more particularly with a device usable on a tennis court in combination with a standard net and net posts to encourage players to hit balls over the net with greater ball-to-net spacing.
In playing tennis, balls hit from one player to another have to pass over the top of the standard net in order to remain in play. The top of the net includes a relatively wide white band or tape which distinctly marks the top edge of the net. Many players unconsciously use this band as a target and in executing various different strokes tend to hit balls over the net with too little spacing between the balls and the net.
A purpose of the invention is therefore to provide a tennis teaching aid providing a visible band located above the top edge of the standard net and serving as a target encouraging players to hit balls with greater ball-to-net spacing. Such greater spacing is important in many aspects of the game and therefore the aid of the invention may be used in instruction and practice by tennis players to develop proper ground stroke technique, utilization and understanding concepts of tennis ball spin, racquet acceleration, ball speed, body lift, shoulder rotation, tennis racquet follow-through, and elevation or trajectory of the tennis ball traveling from base line to base line of the court.
A further object of the invention is to provide a tennis teaching aid of the foregoing character which may be readily set up and taken down as needed, which is readily attachable to standard net posts, wherein the target band may be adjustably tensioned and held at a selected tension through the use of a simple jamb cleat device, and wherein the target band may be adjustably raised and lowered to position it at various heighths above the standard tennis net with which it is used.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment and from the accompanying drawings.